FrogPlay World Championships 2018: SJK(C) Choong Cheng, Kedah

SJK(C) Choong Cheng was introduced to FrogPlay in May 2017. Frog Admin, Ms Chew Soo Lee, who is now a Gold Advocate, started promoting FrogPlay to students and parents. She realised it was very important to have parents onboard, and organised FrogPlay camps during school holidays where students and parents came together to use FrogPlay. The goal is to introduce parents to FrogPlay, its benefits and how to access it at home.

Through collective effort of the entire school community, SJK(C) Choong Cheng won first place in the FrogPlay Championship 2017, being an inspiration that a rural and under-enrolled school [Sekolah Kurang Murid (SKM)] could win a national level competition.

This year, the school did not shy away from the FrogPlay World Championships 2018 and have proven themselves to be a worthy contender in a world arena. Ms Chew Soo Lee has been actively promoting the World Championships on social media to the school community. The Parent Teacher Association (PIBG) has also had meetings where teachers and parents come together to discuss on the upcoming preparations and strategies for the competition.

2.1 Collaborating with 25 SJKC schools in PPD Kuala Muda Yan

Why it started

• There are very little available quizzes for the Chinese language subject, making it hard to prepare and conduct lessons with sufficient content material. Teachers brought this up to the PKG and came together to find a solution. PPD officer heard about their concern and approached the school to collaborate with other SJKC schools in the district.

Who were involved

• 25 teachers from SJKC schools in PPD Kuala Muda Yan
• Frog Advocates
  - Ms Chew Soo Lee from SJK(C) Choong Cheng
  - Cikgu Subaidah from SK Merbok Pusat (school is also a Frog Hub)
  - Puan Zurainah, a retired teacher who is one of the district’s Gold Advocates
• PKG Bujang

The programme: Bengkel Membina Soalan Bagi Matapelajaran Bahasa Cina

• 2-day course where 25 SJKC schools send their Chinese language teacher to learn more about Frog VLE and FrogPlay.
• Day 1: Teachers were introduced to Frog VLE and FrogPlay to give them a basic knowledge of the platform. Teachers were also asked to share about their experience in using Frog to gage their level of understanding. Not only that, teachers were requested to bring past year exam questions to review and convert into quizzes.
• Day 2: Teachers were taught on how to use Frog VLE and FrogPlay, and how to create quizzes. Teachers then go through quizzes that have been created and were taught on how to publish them and share them on FrogPlay Community Quiz.

Outcomes

• 47 Chinese language quizzes were created and published. These quizzes were also shared on FrogPlay Community Quiz (code: KED-KMY-BCM).
• After the course, teachers who attended go back to their schools and share what they have learned with other teachers.
• End of July, they will be doing on for Science, and in August, for Maths. (plan and schedule to be confirmed as they are still in discussions with PPD and PKG)

2.2 Creating LINUS Quizzes for LINUS and remedial students

Why it started

• This initiative started this year during the FrogPlay World Championships 2018. Teachers wanted LINUS and remedial students to also benefit from the competition, but students found some of the FrogPlay quizzes to be a little too hard to answer. So, teachers came together and created LINUS quizzes for these students.
• After a month into the World Championships, LINUS officers came to the school to observe students. They were interested to know more about these LINUS quizzes that teachers created and asked teachers for help.

Outcome

• Kuala Muda Yan LINUS Officer, Puan Chelvi, is in discussions with the school to collaborate to start a programme that involves all schools in the district to be introduced to Frog and learn how to create LINUS quizzes based on existing LINUS modules.

2.3 Collaborating with Cyber Cafe for student discounts

Why it started

• This initiative started because the school is not able to keep the computer lab open for long hours and the need of students to have access to internet is high. Majority of students come from lower income families and do not have devices or internet access at home.

Initiation

• To meet the need of students, the school decided to approach a cyber cafe that is located near the school and within the housing area of students. Before approaching the cyber cafe owner, teachers first gathered parents’ opinion and approval. They had an option to choose to utilise the cyber cafe or the Pusat 1BestariNet. Parents prefered the cyber cafe because the Pusat 1BestariNet was located quite a distance away.
• Ms Chew approached the cyber cafe owner, who is also a parent to a student attending in SJK(C) Choong Cheng. It was last year when Frog VLE and FrogPlay had launched in the school. Cyber cafe owner, whom Ms Chew has addressed as “Encik”, did not agree as he was running a business.
• This year, when the World Championships took place, Encik saw the need of his son to use Frog VLE and FrogPlay. He approached Ms Chew and reopened the discussion to collaborate with the school.

Outcome

• Encik was the one who proposed that discounts will be given to students if they only use Frog VLE and FrogPlay. Not only that, he would also send Ms Chew an attendance checklist and photos of students so that she is informed on what students are doing in the cyber cafe.

3.1 Getting new Agama teacher onboard with Frog

How it started

• Uztazah Pathiyah, a senior teacher around 50 years of age, was transferred to the school in January this year. When she arrived, she told Ms Chew that she knows all about how active the school is in using Frog in teaching and learning. Not wanting to give her unnecessary burden or stress, teachers helped her settle into the school and only briefly introduced her to Frog.
• 2-3 weeks later, Uztazah Pathiyah approached Ms Chew and said that FrogPlay is very interesting and would like to know more on how to utilise it in her classes. Ms Chew and other teachers came together to support her as she started her Frog journey.

Outcome

• Using FrogPlay in Agama classes
  - As the school is an SKM school, Year 1 and 2 Agama classes are combined. During the first half hour, Uztazah conducts lessons for Year 1 students, while Year 2 students completed quizzes on FrogPlay, and then switch in the next half hour. This has helped her manage her class better and more efficiently.
  - She also contributed a lot of Agama quizzes throughout the World Championships.

• Helping other Agama teachers
  - The PKG conducts Frog workshops for Agama teachers. When she attends these workshops, she is able to catch up easily because she already has the knowledge and skill. So in turn, she assists other teachers there to understand better on how to use Frog.
  - As a senior teacher, at first she felt that Frog would be a burden and technology is too complicated. But after learning how to use Frog, she finds it very simple and convenient.

3.2 More than a thousand quizzes created

• Throughout the FrogPlay World Championships, SJK(C) Choong Cheng has created more than a thousand FrogPlay quizzes for all subjects. The school has 12 teachers and each day, each teacher will create more than 20 quizzes.
• The Headmistress is a source of inspiration to all teachers. Even with her busy schedule to attend meetings and workshops, she will still find time to create quizzes and share with teachers how many quizzes she has created for the day. She has created over 300 quizzes throughout the World Championships.

3.3 Plans to build a Professional Learning Community (PLC)

• The school has future plans for PLC to encourage schools within the district to raise the bar in teaching and learning with Frog.
• So far, the school has been invited to other schools to share their best practices. The Headmistress and 3 teachers conduct the workshops. Headmistress will first share on management planning and teachers will guide the others.
• Headmistress is also part of a senior leadership association where she shares about Frog VLE and FrogPlay. Principals and senior teachers who are part of this association have extended invitations to the Headmistress to share about Frog in their schools.